Science Fair Information Night

1. Science Fair Information Night Presented by: Ms. Sanjudo and Ms. Coolidge GREAT WEBSITE: Science Buddies: Provides free science fair project ideas, answers, and tools for serious students. Visit online: www.sciencebuddies.org.

2. What is a science fair? • A journey of scientific inquiry • Investigation Students answer a scientific question by conducting an experiment.

3. Student Benefits • Inquiry and Experiential • This is their own learning adventure. • They might explore topics such as: • Timing ocean tides • How gears work • How light affect plants

4. Student Benefits, continued • Integrates skills they’ve learned in other classes: • Math skills • Computer skills • Research skills • Writing and presentation skills

5. Student Benefits, continued • Furthers students’ interest in science • Serves as a basis for future science fairs, which present opportunities for scholarships, awards, and prestige • Promotes interest in a science career

6. Project Planning • Our planning involves breaking the science project into small, manageable assignments that are spread out over time. • We will provide students with detailed guides to explain exactly what needs to be done at each step of the project.

7. Partnership • Students • Work • Responsibility Science Fair Success • Parents • Encourage • Answer questions • Supervise safety • Come to the fair! • Teachers • Step-by-step assignments • Checkpoints graded along the way

8. Partnership, continued • Students • Work • Responsibility • Parents • Encourage • Answer questions • Supervise safety • Come to the fair! Science Fair Success • Teachers • Step-by-step assignments • Checkpoints graded along the way

9. Partnership, continued • Students • Work • Responsibility Science Fair Success • Parents • Encourage • Answer questions • Supervise safety • Come to the fair! • Teachers • Step-by-step assignments • Checkpoints graded along the way

10. Assignments • A schedule of assignments outlines the due dates for every assignment. • Students will receive a grade for each assignment as well as a grade at the end for the completed project, report, and presentation. • We encourage parents to guide and assist their children with the project, but allow them to do most of the work on their own!

11. Science Fair Time Line

12. Overview • 6 Science Fair Project Steps • Ask a question. • Do background research. • Construct a hypothesis. • Test the hypothesis by doing an experiment. • Analyze the data and draw a conclusion. • Communicate the results.

13. Ask a question. • This is the foundation. • If your child identifies a question that is safe and can be answered through experimentation, the rest of the project will follow. • Be sure this is NOT a demonstration. It MUST test data.

14. Problem Statement • Select a topic from the list of Project Ideas included in the Science Fair handbook or a teacher approved topic • The problem statement is written in the form of a question. • A good topic can be investigated (tested) and contains variables. • A poor topic is merely a demonstration or is too general. • Problem statement must be approved by the teacher before continuing with the project.

15. Background Information • Research information on the topic by reading: • Books, • Magazine articles, • Internet articles, • Interviewing someone knowledgeable about the topic, • After researching the information, write a paragraph that summarizes the information that was found. • Students CANNOT turn in copies of the articles. They must summarize the information in their own words.

16. Bibliography • Make a list of all the references used for the Background Information. • Students MUST use the correct format: • Located in Science Fair handbook • Students should have at least 3 references.

17. Title • Elementary Science Fair Title • Pick a title that tells what the project is about. • Should be “catchy” and catch the viewer’s attention. • The title is NOT the same as the problem statement.

18. Hypothesis • The student will predict what is going to be the results of the investigation. • The hypothesis should not be changed if it is incorrect. • The hypothesis is just an educated guess. • Must be stated using “if” and “then” statement. • Example: “If Brawny, Viva, and Bounty paper towels are tested for their absorbency, then Bounty will absorb the most water.

19. Materials • List all of the materials used to conduct the investigation. • The size and quantity MUST be included. • Measurements MUST be written using metric units.

20. Test the hypothesis by doing an experiment. • Process • Part 1: Design an experimental procedure. • Steps and materials should be spelled out. • Part 2: Do an experiment. • Actual testing of hypothesis occurs, answering the question.

21. Procedures • List the steps taken to conduct the investigation. • Each step must begin with an action verb. • Do not use words such as “I” or “me”. • Must be written in the form of instructions as though someone were going to follow them.

22. Variables • These are all the factors that affect the investigation. • There are three types of variables: • Manipulated Variable: what changes, • Responding Variable: what happens by itself, • Variables Held Constant: what stays the same. • The variables MUST be placed on the display board.

23. Data • Students will gather information during the investigation. • Data MUST be quantifiable. • Students may keep a log of their information that includes specific details of the progress of the project (include dates, measurements, etc…). • The information MUST be displayed in a graph.

24. 60 50 40 Power (kW) 30 20 10 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Wind Speed (m/sec) Analyze the data and draw a conclusion. Example of a graph that draws a conclusion: How wind generator power changes with wind speed.

25. Results • Students will write what happened at the end of their investigation. • Results must be quantifiable.

26. Conclusion • Students write about the results of the investigation Ask yourself these questions before writing your conclusion • Did you get the results you expected to get? If not – how were the results different? • Were there any unexpected problems or occurrences that may have affected the results of your investigation? • Do you think you collected sufficient data? (Were there enough trials? Samples?) • Do I need to revise my original hypothesis? (If you write a revised hypothesis, DO NOT use it to replace your original hypothesis for this project!

27. Elementary Abstract • The abstract consists of three paragraphs: • Paragraph 1: Purpose and Hypothesis, • Paragraph 2: Procedures, • Paragraph 3: Results and Conclusion. • No more than 150 words.

28. Ask a question Here’s a helpful resource to find a great project idea. Visit the Science Buddies website at www.sciencebuddies.org to utilize these tools: • The Topic Selection Wizard This brief online survey recommends project ideas that are best for your child, based on his or her interests. • Project Ideas Pick from a huge selection of project ideas, organized by difficulty level, and featuring safety guidelines, materials lists, and required time for each project.

29. Do an experiment. • Expectations • It’s ok if the first experiment goes wrong and your child has to modify the procedure. • It’s ok if the experiment disproves the hypothesis. • Safety, safety, safety! • It takes time!

30. Communicate results

31. Oral Presentations • During the week that the Display Board is due, students will be required to present their projects orally to the class. • It is important that students follow the guidelines in the handbook to ensure that they meet all of the requirements for this assignment. • Students MUST NOT read the information from the board. They need to address their classmates and maintain eye contact to demonstrate their knowledge of their project.

32. Exhibits For Parents Parents are invited to view the Science Fair Projects in the school cafeteria Thursday, May 12 from 6:30pm – 8:00pm.

33. Questions???

34. Thank You Have fun!